L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?

Rating:
Summary: Bent Corydon: Messiah or madman.
Review: God, you guys just keep getting more pathetic. First, there's Jon 'Atack', and now 'bent' Corydon. if your NAMES don't indicate something to people, then hopefully your lack of intelligence will.
I barely have the energy to bash this book, as it's just such a creative piece of ficiton meant to stir up resentment against Scientology. And then there are the titles of the other sad, lonely individuals here who have given this pseudo-book five stars and entitled their critiques such as ' Ex Scientologist' and such in order to create the proper effect necessary to win over the attention of the viewer. Lovely. Yeah buddy, my only question is: what DID you do to Scientology or Scientologists to make yourself want to blame them so heavily for whatever it is you've done? Ha? Took to much LSD or something and embarassed yourself in front of a few of them? Really...
I'm sure all of the people who love this book ( if you can really call it that..) have probably joined the NRA or KGB and have locked themselves in a bunker somewhere, shooting up and talking about how to take Scientology down.
Good tactics guys. You really seem like heroic missionaries to me. Just like Saddam.
For everyone with a brain, read Dianetics and avoid negativity in your life. Be skeptical. Ask questions. But don't become as sad as these individuals...

Rating:
Summary: Campaign of hate
Review: Having read many reviews on different Scientology books I am dismayed that a reputable company like Amazon allow such defamatory, injurious and totally objectionable comments to remain in the reviews. I thought the purpose of these reviews were about the quality of the books for sale and not a promotional campaign of hate by hateful people intent on destroying a benevolent organisation that Scientology obviously is. Are they that much of a threat to destructive vested interests ? Vested interests that want to keep everybody ignorant, drugged, illerate and fearful. Makes you wonder. At the end of the day it just degrades the whole purpose and credibility of the reviews and is not truly helpful to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Ugh, what slander!
Review: Having read this book when it first came out I was amazed at how shrill the author was, I kept an open mind but felt the "feeling" of the book was mean and not presented in a unbiased way. Some of the things in this book are just plain stupid, like the supposed fact that Hubbard smoked 5 packs of cigarettes a day. I don't think anyone on the planet can smoke 5 packs a day, much less burn them like incense all day and get anything done. Later I had the experience of being shown around a Scientology Mission and (keeping an open mind) found the people very friendly and the course I took to be extremely helpful in the recovery of a close friend of mine. Don't buy this book is my suggestion, it misses the mark.

Rating:
Summary: CLEAR? YEP, NOW THAT I READ THIS BOOK.
Review: How I got started in Scientology and how Bent Corydon's book saved my sanity: I was once very troubled with things in my life: job, wife, friends, bills, lost hopes, bad childhood memories, alcoholic abusive father, etc... I looked everywhere to find some sort of relief from the pressure building from the millions of thoughts that can go through your head when you've lost perspective over many years. I went to counselors, psychiatrists, priests. None were effective in helping me find peace of mind. I simply wanted to find a way to stop irrational anxiety attacks, feelings of inadequacy, low self esteem, and self-destructive tendencies. Then I read "Dianetics" and was sold on how the stuff really made sense. I also read "Scientology-A new slant..." and "Fundamentals of thought" I thought, Wow! this "Tech" is amazing, I can rid myself of unwanted "engrams" and live a fuller, happier life? Well, sign me up. And so off I went to the closest "Org" and started "book one" auditing. It was only $400.00 for every twelve hours of auditing, no biggy, less than I'd pay a shrink, and I was feeling better. Oh, but wait, you're out of communication with your father, your ARC triangle is all "out." -Better enroll in a "Comm" course ($400.00). Oh! the comm course uncovered some overts and with-holds on dad? Time to see the ethics officer, yep, you guessed it, more course work required ($400.00) And we need to keep the auditting going, don't want those engrams getting away ($400.00), ($400.00)... The wife must be "aberrated" too -another set of course work/ auditing...($1200.00) Of course, I didn't object, I was a "pre-clear," I have a reactive mind, therefore my opinion doesn't matter, I'm not in my "valence" so I can't think clearly for myself. I need to keep shelling out the cash, so the "Org" will keep "Up-Stats" Bottom line: Once they've got the cash cow milking, the "course work" and "requirements" to move "up the bridge" keep multiplying, and your bank account disappears! This book reveals how "They" do it. How they take people at vulnerable times in their lives and start washing the last threads of assertiveness and self-determinism out of their heads and start replacing it with "Tech." -And once you've read this book, you'll see just how scarry that "Tech" can be. Please, if you are remotely interested in scientology or dianetics, read this book. It may just save your sanity, if not your life. I'm clear now, clear of a dangerous cult! Look closely if you are already involved. This book is instrumental in discovering all the ways this truly evil organization will intrusively invade and attempt to control your life! There are many people, as this book will prove, that have already succumbed to the "Tech." If you really need someone to talk to, the book will show you where to go in your area. I hope I've helped.

Rating:
Summary: Find the 1996 edition
Review: I agree with many of the other reviewers here regarding the disorganized nature of this book. I just read a 1996 edition (hardcover) from the library - it has an added index and substantially revised sections (although it could still be severely edited). It also includes some info on Corydon's and other critics' recent legal struggles with the cult. Entertaining, but often confusing, and not well documented. The extended quotes from Ron Hubbard Jr. are particularly interesting.

Rating:
Summary: L. Ron Hubbard: MADMAN
Review: I came upon this book during a crucial time in my life, when I was becoming interested in Scientology due to the influence of a best friend who had been a member of the church for her entire life. Fearing my involvement in the church of scientology, and also deterred by the price of the courses, my father bought himself and myself two books, the one which we speak of, and "A Piece of Blue Sky". Both books proved quite informational, forever discouraging me from ever wishing to be apart of the Church of Scientology. Though "A Piece of Blue Sky" was marvelously organized, Corydon's book proved to be a greater wealth of frightful information. The book speaks of many appalling events from L. Ron Hubbard's personal life, taken from accounts from ex-wives, former Scientology members, and several accounts from Hubbard's own son, L. Ron Hubbard Jr. Corydon describes the fundamental principles of Scientology, the varied historical growth of the Church of Scientology, the deranged behavior of Hubbard, the process from which he turned from science fiction writer to messiah, the "secret" language of Scientology, and anything else a person could possibly wish to know about the madman L. Ron Hubbard and his science fiction creation: the Church of Scientology. Despite the book's confusing layout and chronology, it is a must read for all who wish to protect themselves from the grasp of this cult-like organization.

Rating:
Summary: Ex-Scio
Review: I liked the book. I wish Bent and his family the best. I worked on staff for about 2 years at Bent's mission in Riverside in the mid-1970s. (I left way back then and returned to U.C.R. to finish my math/computer-science degree.) This book really "rang bells" with me. I highly recommend it! (I hope the young lady I got involved in it was able to leave and finish her statistics degree at U.C.R.)

Rating:
Summary: Totally mind-boggling!
Review: I must say I found this book much easier to "get into" than Jon Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky. I have been interested in the Scientology cult for many years, even prior to the Time magazine article in 1991; however, these books were even more scary than anything I had previously read. Imagine people following the teachings and "psychotherapeutic" methods of a man who is a compulsive liar, who constantly went into mad raging fits, and who choked his 2nd wife so severely he crushed her eustachian tube and caused a permanent hearing loss. If anyone doubts that Scientology is not as evil as the media and ex-Scientologists portray it, then they should really read this book. Corydon does a good job of exposing the inner workings of high level officials such as David Miscavige (the high school dropout who currently is one of the leaders of the cult), and these inner workings include extortion, harrassment, false allegations against former members, and eve! n physical violence. I am still stunned by accounts that Corydon records in this book. There are only 2 problems I found with this book: first, there is no index for references, and second, the book is not really chronological in its presentation. Aside from these two deficiencies, it is still an excellent read. Anyone considering joining Dianetics or Scientology should really read this book first! And anyone who knows someone in Scientology should give them this book (anonymously of course!). Corydon and others who have courageously stood up and given witness to the abuses and crimes of Scientology should be commended for their bravery and commitment to humanity. If this book and others similar to it help to deter another person from becoming a victim of Scientology, then these works have done a valuable service.

Rating:
Summary: Totally mind-boggling!
Review: I must say I found this book much easier to "get into" than Jon Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky. I have been interested in the Scientology cult for many years, even prior to the Time magazine article in 1991; however, these books were even more scary than anything I had previously read. Imagine people following the teachings and "psychotherapeutic" methods of a man who is a compulsive liar, who constantly went into mad raging fits, and who choked his 2nd wife so severely he crushed her eustachian tube and caused a permanent hearing loss. If anyone doubts that Scientology is not as evil as the media and ex-Scientologists portray it, then they should really read this book. Corydon does a good job of exposing the inner workings of high level officials such as David Miscavige (the high school dropout who currently is one of the leaders of the cult), and these inner workings include extortion, harrassment, false allegations against former members, and eve! n physical violence. I am still stunned by accounts that Corydon records in this book. There are only 2 problems I found with this book: first, there is no index for references, and second, the book is not really chronological in its presentation. Aside from these two deficiencies, it is still an excellent read. Anyone considering joining Dianetics or Scientology should really read this book first! And anyone who knows someone in Scientology should give them this book (anonymously of course!). Corydon and others who have courageously stood up and given witness to the abuses and crimes of Scientology should be commended for their bravery and commitment to humanity. If this book and others similar to it help to deter another person from becoming a victim of Scientology, then these works have done a valuable service.

Rating:
Summary: A great, trashy read
Review: I picked this up and read it while I was in high school because it looked like a good "true crime"-type book, and because I was intrigued by the fact that most of the libraries in Phoenix were mysteriously missing most of their copies of this book, and all copies of Jon Atack's book, (which I never did get to read). This book lingers on the most sordid aspects of Hubbard's life, the history of the Church its dogma. It seriously drags as the creepy "Sea Org" roams about on the seas. But covers everything you need to be culturally literate, and is a quick, fun read.